Manicuring or pedicuring devices for filing fingernails and toenails are well known. The most popular such device is a standard flat nail file or emery board. These devices have the disadvantage of being manually powered. Furthermore, they cannot do an adequate job of reaching all of the surfaces needing smoothing, particularly for persons with curved fingernails or toenails. Toenails of substantial curvature cause substantial problems in obtaining effective smoothing of the outer edge, particularly when using a flat nail file.
Electrically operated manicuring and pedicuring devices are also part of the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,623 to Murray shows a battery powered manicuring device with a reciprocating flat manicuring implement. U.S. Pat. No. 1,892,867 to Burr shows a similar electrically powered reciprocating flat manicuring element. Although electrically powered, these devices suffer the same defects as do flat nail files or emery boards insofar as curved nails are concerned.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,126,021 to May and 4,137,926 to Pao show electrically rotary driven cylindrical grinding surfaces on nail trimming devices. The latter is portable and battery operated. These devices also suffer disadvantages. A cylindrical shape grinding surface will not permit easiest access to nails of various shapes, curvatures and sizes. Furthermore, these devices pose a significant risk of damage to the skin adjacent the nail during use.
While several patents in the prior art disclose the general concept of protective guards associated with powered rotating manicuring devices, none of the devices of such prior patents permit filing or smoothing of rough fingernails or toenails, particularly those with substantial curvature, without fear of damage to the adjacent skin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,915,305 to Gallagher discloses a rotating disk-shaped nail file with a guard over the flat rotating surface thereof having slots therein for insertion of the fingernail. This is not particularly useful for curved nails. U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,379 to Acocella shows a rotating cylindrical filing device with a guard surrounding it except for an opening for insertion of the nail. Again, this is not suitable for all shapes and sizes of nails. Other types of guards are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,923,303 to Hundt, 3,596,667 to Buercklin, and 3,311,117 to Thompson.
Patents showing devices for other utilities, such as nail buffing, tooth polishing, and callosity removing, describe buffing or grinding surfaces of various shapes with various types of guards. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,840,837 to Gustems, 1,822,631 to Roig, 4,335,480 to Liu and 1,869,197 to Holz. The disclosures of such patents, however, would not suggest their applicability toward the solution of the problems discussed above with respect to powered nail files capable of effective use regardless of the shape, curvature or size of the nail.
Until now, no electric manicuring or pedicuring device has been devised which is capable of allowing access to all portions of the end tip of a fingernail or toenail, regardless of the shape, curvature or size thereof, without damaging the region of skin near the nail by the filing member.